Champions of the Earth: Inspirational environmental leaders from Chile, China and United States

Six inspirational environmental leaders today received the United Nations’ highest environmental honour, the Champions of the Earth award, during the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya.

President of Chile Michelle Bachelet, Paul A. Newman and his team at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, American filmmaker Jeff Orlowski, bike-sharing startup Mobike, Chairman of Elion Resources Group Wang Wenbiao, and the Saihanba Afforestation Community were all lauded for actions that had a significant positive impact on the environment.

“As we face unprecedented threats to our environment, strong leadership at all levels is more important than ever,” said Erik Solheim, head of UN Environment. “This year’s Champions embody the commitment, vision and energy we so desperately need.”

The awards were presented during the third UN Environment Assembly, which brings together over 4,000 heads of state, ministers, business leaders, UN officials and civil society representatives to tackle the global menace of pollution.

The 2017 winners received the awards for action in the following categories:

In October 2015, President Bachelet established the marine park Nazca-Desventuradas in San Ambrosio and San Felix Islands, and a range of protected areas and marine parks in the Juan Fernandez Islands. She also extended protected areas in Easter Island. The total coverage is now over 1 million km2, the largest in the world. Aside from marine environmental protection, her policies have seen renewable energy production surge from 6 to 17 per cent of Chile’s energy mix in just 4 years.

“Chile has shown the world that you don’t need to be a rich country to preserve the environment,” said President Bachelet. “I feel honored to be included in this outstanding group of people and grateful for being acknowledged as one of this year’s Champions of the Earth, the UN’s highest environmental recognition.”

SCIENCE AND INNOVATION

Paul A. Newman & NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, for outstanding contributions to the Montreal Protocol – which has phased out 99 per cent of ozone-depleting substances and led to the healing of the ozone layer.

The first satellite instrument to measure ozone was put into space by the Goddard centre in 1970, and the first Antarctic ozone hole pictures were made using Goddard satellite data in 1985. Since the early 90s, the center has been instrumental in leading updates to the Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion, looking at how policies impact the atmosphere and setting a new high-water mark for international scientific cooperation. The ozone layer is now healing and will return to 1980 levels by mid-century. As a result, up to 2 million cases of skin cancer may be prevented each year by 2030. The Kigali Amendment to the protocol, signed in 2016, is now targeting hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are climate-warming gases with significant global-warming potential. Action in this area can help avoid up to 0.5° Celsius in global warming by the end of the century.

Mobike, for exploring market-driven solutions to air pollution and climate change.

Mobike is the world’s largest smart bike-sharing company. After two years of operation, the platform claims over 100 million registered users across more than 100 cities globally, servicing over 20 million rides a day.

Air pollution is a massive problem, particularly in countries like China and India, claiming an estimated 6.5 million lives each year. Bike sharing is a crucial alternative to motorized transport, and companies like Mobike are leading the way in cutting out journeys that contribute to air pollution and climate change.

According to figures collated by the company, Mobike users have cycled more than 18.2 billion kilometres, avoiding 4.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to taking 1.24 million cars off the road for a year.

Every Mobike bike has a GPS tracker, and the company collects bikes that don’t move or are unused – although they are designed to be maintenance-free for four years. The company also has an incentive/disincentive scheme, giving bonus points for proper parking to encourage users to leave their bikes in designated areas.

Mobike has also teamed up with US chemical firm, Dow, to conduct research on creating more eco-friendly bikes after reports of unsustainable manufacturing practices.

“It is a tremendous honour to receive this award,” said Mobike’s Founder and President, Hu Weiwei. “Combating climate change, through [pursuing] the United Nations sustainable development goals, is one of the world’s most important priorities, and we commit to using our technology and innovation to help governments and businesses join us in creating a pedal-powered green economy.”

INSPIRATION AND ACTION

Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Jeff Orlowski, for his work on spreading powerful environmental messages to a global audience

Orlowski is the founder of Exposure Labs, which uses the power of storytelling to create impact. In 2012, he directed the climate-focused documentary, Chasing Ice, which has been screened in over 172 countries, 70 universities, over 75 film festivals, the White House and the UN.

His latest film, Chasing Coral, looks at the effects of ocean warming coral bleaching on these vulnerable ecosystems. The award-winning documentary is the result of 500+ hours underwater, the creative application of cutting-edge technology, submissions of footage from volunteers from 30 countries, and support from more than 500 people around the world. It won the Sundance US Documentary Audience award.

Chasing Coral’s impact campaign is driven by a central mission to inspire a new wave of climate champions in unexpected places, calling on people to arrange screenings of the film and take action to protect coral reefs that are dying across the world.

“The collapse of our reefs is an early, yet urgent warning of the threat posed to all ecosystems,” said Orlowski. “I hope this award can help reveal this elusive story hidden in our ocean to the world.”

Saihanba Afforestation Community, for transforming degraded land into a lush paradise.

Saihanba, which covers 92,000 hectares and borders the southern edge of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, had by the 1950s become barren due to excessive logging, allowing sand to blow into Beijing from the northern deserts. In 1962, hundreds of foresters began planting trees in the area. Three generations of these foresters have increased forest cover from 11.4 to 80 per cent. The forest now supplies 137 million cubic meters of clean water to the Beijing and Tianjin areas each year, while discharging c. 550,000 metric tons of oxygen. It has spurred economic growth with green sectors, generating USD15.1 million in 2016 alone.

“In the 55 years the farm has existed, people have been growing trees and protecting the forest like their own children,” said Liu Haiying, director of Saihanba Afforestation Community. “I believe that, as long as we continue to promote ecological civilization, generation after generation, China can create more green miracles like Saihanba and achieve harmony between humans and nature.”

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Wang Wenbiao, Chairman of Elion Resources Group, for a lifetime of leadership in green industry.

Better known in China as the “Son of the Desert”, Wang, 61, is the chairman of China’s largest private green industries enterprise, Elion Resources Group, with total assets of over USD 1.6 billion.

Wang bought the Hangjinqi Saltworks in the middle of the Kubuqi desert in 1988. He quickly realized that the saltworks’ financial woes, and the problems with livelihoods in the region, were down to the desert: sand interfering with production and making it difficult to transport products out.

He partnered with local communities and the Beijing government to combat desertification in the desert, which covers around 18,600 sq km in Inner Mongolia. Centuries of grazing had stripped the land, leaving around 70,000 people struggling to survive. Now around two-thirds of the desert has been greened and local communities have jobs and a more pleasant environment. UN Environment research estimated the project has a net value in ecosystem services of $1.8 billion dollars over 50 years.

The project shows how private industry can both turn a healthy profit and make a massive positive contribution to climate change, sustainable development and many other environmental issues.

“My only life goal is to combat desertification for a greener world, with more lush mountains with clear water, which I always value as silver and gold mountains,” Wang said.

In November 2007, Wang was elected as the Vice Chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and in 2008 won the China Charity Award. In January 2012, he won the title of ‘Chinese Model Worker in Green Work’ for the second time.

Water logging and Salinity: A threat in the face of barrenness

The Annual
cost of crop losses from the problem of water logging and salinity has been
estimated between Rs 15bn and Rs 55bn

Currently,
different areas in the world have face the issues of water logging and salinity
but they are intensified due to number of factors including unsuitable pattern
of cropping, floods and heavy rain falls and uncontrolled drainage.

Water
Logging and salinity are the most devastating effects of the irrigation
development. Though, both of them are entirely different problems but still
they are discussed as twin problems with reference to Pakistan. As we know that
Pakistan has alluvial soil means when less amount of water is given to the land
all those salts that are present under the soil start gathering on the surface
near the roots and if such land are not properly leached with the passage of
time those lands will lose their fertility turning into barren lands.

According
to the report published by the United Nations food organization out of total
20.8 m hectares cultivable land in Pakistan 1.55 m hectares are affected by
water logging whereas 5.33 m hectares affect by salinity. We are losing our
cultivable land at very fast rate especially in the areas of Punjab. It is very
important to understand the concept of water logging and salinity. Basically,
water logging represents the phenomena in which underground water comes to the
surface and also gathers on the ground surface of the land. In water logged
areas for plants very few spaces are present for air that’s means there is
deficiency of oxygen

Whereas in
case of salinity the ground water does not reach the desired level casing
accumulation of land salts near the roots so in a nut shell one can say that
both of these processes decreases the efficiency as well as productivity of
cultivable lands. Let me say that all those areas that fall in Indus basin
system like Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Jhang have been devastatingly affected
by water logging and salinity. Pakistan has been its victim since many decades
but it has drastically affected the farmers because of increasing in the
percentage of uncultivable land causing major cuts in the incomes of farmers
leading to small scale famines and poverty.
In this regard there is no significant role of provincial governments
and due to their negligence and lack of planning the farmers are facing low
quality production and no subsidies from the government side. Actually the
problem of salinity is not natural its man made because of our method of
irrigation. River water or canal water is widely used for irrigation that
contains high amounts of salts and when the water evaporates large amount of
salts remain behind causing salinity. I would like to share some suggestions in
order to curb these menaces.

A question
is always raised from the farmers side that how to overcome the grave problem
of salinity? Simply the application of gypsum into affected lands and soil
salinity control by salivation and reclaiming the affected lands. In order to
curb water logging the most effective method is biological drainage in which
role of trees, bushes and crops is of significance importance to control water
logging. It is obvious that selection of crops in water logged areas is
important like grain legumes and canola have more power of tolerance against
the menace of water logging as compared to beans or cereals. Another question
needs to be addressed that can we do anything to mitigate the effects of water
logging before it happens? Yes this could be done by following methods
increasing nitrogen level of crops before water logging even occurs.

On the
other hand nitrogen fertilizers can also be applied at the end of water logging
season but it should be done soon after seeding process. The Proper Lining of
canals and closure for a temporary period of time is necessary so water will
only be used when needed. Installing of tube wells in those areas where we have
high underground water tables and plantation of eucalyptus trees in water
logged areas. Eventually, both of these problems could be addressed in a proper
way if the efficiency of irrigation system gets improved and more and more such
crops are cultivated that needs less water in arid and semi arid regions.
Moreover improving drainage system should also be prioritized as we receive
massive rainfalls and floods during monsoons so incase of inappropriate
drainage system the rain water will seep into the soil increasing the water
table leading to water logging. If we don’t act soon in the coming next 5 to 10
years nearly half of the cultivable land of Pakistan will become victim of
water logging and salinity. Nevertheless it is the responsibility of the
government to create awareness among the masses regarding drainage, water
logging and salinity and how to curb this menace.

Related

The global plastic pollution crisis is
threatening the natural environment on which we depend – impacting oceans, communities,
wildlife, and people at an unprecedented rate. While many companies and
organizations are committing to curb plastic pollution, some lack a roadmap to
follow when implementing these commitments. Today WWF launched a new activation
hub, ReSource: Plastic, to help solve this problem.

WWF estimates as few as 100 companies have the
potential to help prevent roughly 10 million metric tons of the world’s plastic
waste pollution – If done through industry, private sector and government
collaboration. Even more, this number could triple by inspiring a ripple effect
across supply chains and industry sectors.

ReSource seeks to tap into this massive potential by helping companies align their
large-scale plastic commitments from aspiration to meaningful, measurable
action. ReSource will collaborate with industries to ensure a
systems-based approach to addressing plastic production, consumption, waste
management and recycling as a single system.

“ReSource is designed to identify the
concrete changes that will make the biggest impacts in reducing a company’s
plastic pollution footprint,” said Nik Sekhran, Chief Conservation Officer,
World Wildlife Fund. “To get closer to our goal of no plastic in nature will
take nothing short of transforming the entire value chain. With ReSource,
companies now have access to more advanced tools to maximize, measure and
multiply their commitments to make this a reality.”

Six of the world’s leading companies, including
Keurig Dr Pepper, McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble, Starbucks, Tetra Pak and
The Coca-Cola Company have signed on as Principal Members.

“Addressing the plastic problem in our oceans,
rivers and land is everyone’s responsibility – including the companies that use
much of the plastic in the world today. It’s a complex issue with no
one-size-fits-all solution, and that’s why we’re so energized by the approach
WWF is taking with the ReSource program,” said Virginie Helias, Vice
President and Chief Sustainability Officer, Procter & Gamble. “ReSource will
bring a systems approach in partnership with many stakeholders – common
metrics, best practices, accountability – that is much needed to accelerate
progress on long-term solutions.”

A recent report by WWF, “No Plastic in Nature: A
Practical Guide for Business Engagement,” examined the scope and causes of the plastic waste crisis and laid
out a clear and pragmatic guide for businesses to lead the much-needed plastics
revolution. This guide provided the vision and foundation for the design
of ReSource. Measurement and transparent reporting are paramount if this
challenge is to be met. ReSource will track and publicly report progress
on the amount of plastic waste prevented by participants on an annual basis.

“We are proud to join WWF as a Principal Member
of ReSource,” said Francesca DeBiase, McDonald’s Executive Vice
President and Chief Supply Chain and Sustainability Officer. “This partnership
perfectly aligns with our ambition to use our Scale for Good and work with
others to develop thoughtful, scalable solutions that will make a significant
impact on the plastic pollution challenge.”

WWF is working to change the way the world
sources, designs, collects and reuses plastic – taking the approach that no
individual, organization, business or government can tackle the
root causes of plastic pollution on their own. The
complexity of the challenge demands collaboration and ReSource delivers
on this demand by connecting companies with other key stakeholders to share
discoveries and investments that will multiply the impact of these efforts
globally.

Leading organizations tackling the plastic waste
crisis, Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) and Ocean Conservancy, have joined ReSource
as Thought Partners. EMF has already united hundreds of organizations around a
set of 2025 targets through the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment. EMF
will work closely with WWF to ensure ReSource is aligned with their
vision of a circular economy for plastics and to provide organizations with the
tools needed to achieve these targets. For years, Ocean Conservancy has
convened scientists and businesses around solutions to the ocean plastic crisis
through its Trash Free Seas Alliance®, of which WWF is a member. Ocean
Conservancy will help ensure ReSource is informed by deep ocean
expertise, particularly as ocean plastic pollution has become a driver for
change toward a circular economy.

“World Wildlife Fund is a key partner for
Starbucks in our efforts to continue minimizing our environmental footprint,”
said John Kelly, Senior Vice President of Global Public Affairs and Social
Impact, Starbucks. “We look forward to being a part of ReSource: Plastic
as we know it takes collaboration to find scalable, truly impactful solutions.
We’re committed to learning and leading alongside other brands as we work
toward our aspiration of sustainable coffee, served sustainably.”

ReSource is part of WWF’s global No Plastic in Nature campaign to protect the
world’s oceans and biodiversity by tackling marine litter and unnecessary
plastic consumption.

Related

Prevailing Plastic Pollution in Pakistan

In recent
times our globe has trodden the path of development and advancement by leaps
and bounds. This advancement and progress have taken place up to such extent
that a lower class citizen finds himself besieged by multiple machines in his
small home. The excess services of the technology have taken the world by storm
because it has facilitated humanity with astonishing services. Advancement in
technology has a direct link with that of globalization. With the advancement
in globalization, the trends of people have altered their preferences. During
the last decade, there is a glaring rise in the trends of shopping. The drifts
of globalization with capitalism have enticed people to widen their demands.
And obviously, one can witness that even a beggar seems to purchase some
eatable or aught. With the augmentation in the trends of business and
purchasing, there is rampant use of plastic bags and plastic commodities. But
this wonder of plastic got a little out of hand.

However, in
this technological, globalized, and capitalistic era, our biodiversity with
worth trillion dollars is on a perilous verge. Overuse of technological
accessories, industrialization, mobilization, and globalization from one
perspective have posed a threat to our ecosystem. The one darkest commodity of
this globalized and technologically sophisticated world is the menace of
plastic. Yes, during these times when the advantages of technology and
globalization are getting much publicity, they have posed threat on either side
as well. Plastic is one of these perils and has saturated our environment. The
invention of this commodity has completely invaded our lives. During these
times, everything is at least partly fabricated from plastic. Our clothes,
items of furniture, houses, bags, and several items that surround us possess a
specific share of plastic in them. In short, our lives are turning into
plastic.

Plastic is
the biggest threat to biodiversity. The question that arises why it is a threat
to the environment? The answer is obvious that plastic is non-biodegradable
(not able to be decomposed). The plastic bags that we see on shopping centers
usually take 10-100 years to decompose and normal plastic products take 450
years to decompose. According to the report, the world is currently producing
nearly 300 million tons of plastic each year. Now imagine for a moment that
such a prolific quantity of plastic that is being produced every year, how long
it will take to decompose? Centuries of course.

Another
question that rears is the plastic that has produced till date, created the
perplexity up to which extent? The answer is that it has wreaked havoc in the
environment. Particularly, it has harmed marine life. Since heaps of garbage
are dumped into the sea, so that refuse involves plastic in it. As seafood is
an important source of protein; pollution and damage propagated by plastic are
immeasurable. Over 600 marine species are being harmed by plastic pollution
every day. Aforementioned that plastic takes many years to decompose, so marine
animals can’t digest it. When they ingest plastic bags, gills are wrapped by
the plastic bags. In this way, suffocation occurs which leads them to death.
Their death brings about further pollution to the sea. By this mean, we are
squandering our sea boon.

The issue
doesn’t end here, the life on the earth crust and in the atmosphere is also not
safe from this menace. Many people inhabited in small towns and village burn
plastic, in order to annihilate. The burning of plastic causes damage to the
atmosphere as plastic comprises poisonous chemicals. The polluted air when
inhaled by humans and animals affect their health and can cause respiratory
problems. Likewise, when plastic is dumped in landfills, it interacts with
water and forms hazardous chemicals. When these chemicals seep underground,
they degrade the water quality. In these ways, plastic is damaging our globe.

Following
analyzing the downside of plastic, the next question inevitably dominates the
thinking that how much the government of Pakistan is serious to sort out this
issue. The answer to this question is the government is iota interested in this
matter. Almost eight months have passed yet the government seems uninterested
in this matter. Around 55 billion plastic bags are being used annually in
Pakistan. In my city or district, I see at every outlet the plastic bags hung.
Every customer carries the eatable or necessity item in the plastic bag. There
is no observance of the ban on the use of the plastic bag. On the contrary,
many European countries have devised plans and passed the rules against the use
of plastic bags. The incumbent government is just good at reprimanding the
previous governments. Pakistan is among the top 10 polluted countries and
doubtlessly plastic pollution is responsible for bringing at status quo. The
government should impose a ban on plastic bag manufacturing factories. Also, it
should abbreviate the use of plastic commodities.

Multiple
convenient solutions have been proposed in combating plastic pollution.
Switching to reusable bags would help a lot in reducing plastic pollution.
Organic cotton grocery bags, canvas market bags, and, grab bags are the best
alternatives to plastic bags. In 2016, after consuming five years searching
through piles of waste, Japanese researchers found a strain of bacteria that
naturally grew to eat away at polyethylene terephthalate, which is common plastic
and known as polyester. This bacteria is known as Mutant Enzyme. The know-how
of the proper way to recycle common plastics is necessary, can also do wonders.
Arranging awareness seminars on the detrimental effects of plastic is yet
another effective way.

Despite
many proposed and effective solutions above the incumbent government is
tethered to combat the menace of plastic. The government should be mindful that
if we keep going on this trajectory, there will be more plastic than fish by
2050. The government, the NGO’s, social welfare organization, civil societies,
and we as the unit should join hands together to fight that perilous issue lest
it should late.